Elena Vaitsekhovskaya contacted with Ekaterina and got some comments. Here’s the translation:

Ekaterina: It’s normal that firstly I was shocked. But from the moment I was informed of the positive test, has passed enough time to recover and try to think about this situation. Million times I replayed in my head all the possible and impossible variants and I’m absolutely sure that the only drug that I took in Bratislava before the competition was actovegin. It is absolutely legal. By the recommendation of a doctor, who is constantly working with us in Moscow, we usually start to take this medication week and a half before the competition, when at the trainings we had to do a large number of run-throughes. It really helps to restore the legs quickly, it helped not to overload the muscles. Besides, I pretty easy catch a cold, so in autumn and winter I have to take the supporting medicines constantly.

Our doctor didn’t go with us to Bratislava, but he gave me all this medicines, so I could give them to the doctor of the team. He gave me an injection of drugs before the short program, opening the ampule in front of me.

All the next daythe doctorwas at theice rink, because girls were finishing skating late. Iasked the doctor tofind time to come to the hotelbetweencompetitions, so I couldgo to bed early.

When Icometo the procedure, the syringeswere alreadyfilled withmedicine,but Ihonestlydidn’t evenstress my attention on this: I knewthat the doctor wasin a hurryto catch thebusand gobackto the rink.

What happened then?

Ekaterina: Everything is as usual. The competition has ended and I was invited to a doping test. I didn’t have any reason to worry about it: since when we were training with Elena Kustarova and Svetlana Alexeeva, we were strictly taught to monitor every detail during competition. Drink only from sealed bottles, never left skates without attention, even for a moment, even to the extent to take them with you to the toilet, so, nothing could have happened with the skates. Before taking any whatsoever medicine, I always pre-consulted with the doctor. I even consulted about the leech, whether it could be a prohibited treatment for athletes.

At the beginning of autumn we were warned that mildronate and any other products containing meldonium, will be banned from January. And in general we are constantly warned about the need to be extremely cautious in taking any pharmacological substances. Reminded that the attention to the Russian athletes are incredibly high. In any case, I recheck every medications even in the home medicine chest, to eliminate completely the drugs that might contain any whatsoever number of illegal components.

Do you admit thatillegal drugscould get to your bodywithfoodordrinks?

Ekaterina:The only possibleoption –to take my thermos from my bag in the locker room and to mix something in there. But honestly, I don’t believe in such possibility.

Then Elena Vaitsekhovskaya wrote that when in sports happened another doping story, it’s always causes lots of question. And she also has some questions. I think her opinion is very interesting (especially because she was a professional athlete and knows a lot about it). So, I also translated this part from Vaitsekhovskaya’s article:

Q1: Is it possible thatthere was alaberror?

EV: Yes, it’s quite possible. Sports managers often recommend athletes, found guilty of violating doping rules, not to insist on the re-examination. Because to re-examine the sample is expensive, takes long time, and WADA frankly don’t like this. It seems that for this reason, Bobrova was persuaded to sign a waiver: doubtful that an athlete would take upon herself the responsibility to make such decision on her own.

On the other hand, in the recent history of doping has occurred the situation when the test of sample “B” didn’t confirm the test of sample “A”. Another important factor is: asked forre-analysis the athlete(and hisfederation) gets thetimetohavea balancedassessment of the situationand to conduct a thorough investigation. But in relation tothe present case,to discussall of thisno longer makes sense: the opportunity was missed.

Q2: whether or not to completelytrust the words of figure skater?

EV: Of course, it can be in doubt. But. In a situation of absolute probability of doping control, which is required for the winners, no sane person would go on such a questionable risk, like the use of a prohibited drug, which doesn’t provide immediate effect and any tangible benefits. Ekaterina has always been considered as a model of discipline and sanity in the team.

Q3: Could a doctorconfusevials andinject anillegal drugby mistake?

EV:This, unfortunately, is also possible. In charge of health service of the team in Bratislava was Filipp Shvetsky, who constantly works with the group of Nina Mozer. No matter how sad it is to ascertain, on the professional reputation of the specialist there is already a quite serious stain: a year before the Olympic Games in Beijing, he has worked with the national rowing team, and his actions led to the fact that six rowers from the Russian team were disqualified for unauthorized intravenous infusion.

Sure we will have some more information soon. I also really interested what Russian Figure Skating Federation will do now….which strategy they will use to get three spots at Worlds….or they will decide that “What is Dead May Never Die” and will spend all their “resources” in other disciplines?